The Sugar Industry Trust Fund for Education (SITFE) has set aside R5 million for a bursary programme to assist first-year students who are going to be pursuing tertiary studies in agricultural fields, science and engineering in South African universities.
The funding forms part of the industry’s commitment to invest more than R1 billion in the industry’s transformation over a five-year period.
While these bursaries are primarily aimed at children of sugar cane growers and farmworkers in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, all students pursuing studies in the qualifying fields may apply.
Andrew Russel, a chairperson at SA Canegrowers, said the fund aimed to provide assistance to students from “missing middle” families in sugar cane growing areas, those whose annual income was between R350 000 – R600 000 per annum.
This is because these families are often excluded from funding schemes for students.
“The sugar industry is among the most labour-intensive agricultural industries and therefore creates vital employment opportunities, mainly in rural areas, but many of these are lower-skilled jobs.
“Through this bursary initiative, SA Canegrowers hopes that more South African youth are equipped with the skills needed for professional careers within the industry while also contributing to the country’s STEM graduates, who are critical for our country’s economic growth,” said Russell.
He said applications were open and would be closed on October 31, 2022.
Russell said the SITFE was launched in 1965 as a private sector initiative and was regarded as one of the oldest trust funds in South Africa.
The mission of SITFE is to support, promote and advance sustainable, quality education in South African sugar cane growing areas.
“Since inception, the trust has provided bursaries to over 10 200 students, financed school building projects, provided financial assistance to tertiary institutions, and has worked closely with educational organisations to improve the overall education standard in the sugar cane growing provinces, namely KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
“The programme supports a wide range of programmes including school support, study assistance early childhood development; and an education centre development programme,” he said.
Daily News